What Is Gross Salary?
Gross salary is the total amount you earn from your employer before any tax, the Medicare levy, or other deductions are taken out. It is the headline figure you see on your employment contract, your payslip, and the figure the Australian Tax Office (ATO) uses to calculate your income tax. Understanding gross salary as a yearly, weekly and hourly amount helps you compare your pay with official benchmarks and see where you sit in the broader labour market.
The National Full-Time Average Gross Salary
The most widely used benchmark for full-time earnings in Australia is the Average Weekly Earnings series published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The latest release, for May 2026, shows that full-time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings (seasonally adjusted) are $2,083.70 per week. Annualised over 52 weeks, that is about $108,352 per year.
This figure is the site’s line – the point against which you can place a salary on the line to see how your own gross salary compares. It is an average, not a median, so it can be pulled upward by very high incomes. The ABS also publishes a median: the full-time adult median gross weekly earnings from the August 2025 Characteristics of Employment survey was about $1,740 per week, or roughly $90,532 per year. The median for all employees (including part-time and casual) was about $1,425 per week, or $74,100 per year.
Gross Salary by Week and Hour
Because the ABS reports weekly earnings, you can convert the national average to an hourly rate by dividing by a standard 38-hour week. The full-time average weekly ordinary time earnings of $2,083.70 works out to about $54.83 per hour. That is more than double the national minimum wage, which from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 per hour, or $1,004.90 per week on a 38‑hour week (about $52,255 per year).
If you are paid a salary, your employer may calculate your hourly rate for overtime or leave purposes using the same 38‑hour divisor. The Fair Work Ombudsman’s awards often set minimum hourly rates that are higher than the national minimum wage, and those award rates rose by 4.75% from 1 July 2026.
Gross Salary by State and Territory
Average gross salaries vary across Australia. The ABS provides state‑by‑state full‑time adult average weekly ordinary time earnings. Using the same annualisation (×52), the state averages are:
- New South Wales: about $109,658
- Victoria: about $106,137
- Queensland: about $106,064
- South Australia: about $102,450
- Western Australia: about $115,825
- Tasmania: about $96,008
- Northern Territory: about $103,173
- Australian Capital Territory: about $119,090
These figures reflect the mix of industries and occupations in each state. For a deeper look at how your location compares, see the states and territories page.
Gross Salary and Tax
Your gross salary determines which tax bracket you fall into. For the 2026–27 income year, the ATO’s resident tax rates are:
- Nil on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
A Medicare levy of 2% applies to most taxpayers, with reductions for low incomes. So a gross salary of $108,352 would attract tax at the 30% marginal rate on the portion above $45,000, plus the 2% Medicare levy. Your net salary is what remains after these deductions.
Gross Salary vs. Other Measures
It is important to keep the different official measures distinct:
- Average Weekly Earnings (ABS, May 2026): $2,083.70 per week full‑time ordinary time. This is an average, not a median.
- Median Employee Earnings (ABS, August 2025): $1,425 per week for all employees; $1,740 per week for full‑time employees. Medians are less affected by very high or low incomes.
- National Minimum Wage (Fair Work, from 1 July 2026): $26.44 per hour, $1,004.90 per week, about $52,255 per year.
If you want to see how your gross salary compares by occupation or industry, the ABS publishes median earnings for specific job categories. You can explore those on the job medians and industry medians pages.
How to Use the Gross Salary Figure on This Site
The tool on this site accepts your yearly gross salary before tax. It then shows you the equivalent weekly amount (÷52) and hourly amount (÷52 ÷38), and calculates how far above or below the national full‑time average your pay sits. You can also see your position relative to the median and the minimum wage. This gives you a clear picture of where your gross salary stands in the Australian labour market.
For more detail on how the figures are set and where they come from, visit How the figures are set. And if you have questions about the methodology, the Guides section explains the difference between averages and medians, and why the ABS publishes two different earnings surveys.
Summary
Gross salary is your pre‑tax pay. The national full‑time average gross salary is about $108,352 per year, or $2,083.70 per week, or $54.83 per hour. Your own gross salary may be higher or lower depending on your occupation, industry, state, and experience. Use the tools on this site to see exactly where you stand.